1. Field
A force feedback input device that applies feedback force to an operating member is provided.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, there has been suggested a force feedback input device which incorporates the function adjustment of on-vehicle control apparatuses such as air conditioners, audio or navigation systems into one operating member. In this case, when a user rotates the operating member to select an apparatus or to perform the function adjustment of the selected apparatus, output force such as resistant sensation or thrust is applied according to the rotation amount or the rotation direction of the operating member. According to the force feedback input device, favorable operation feeling can be obtained and operationality can be ensured (for example, see JP-A-2003-22137 (pages 5 to 6 and FIG. 1)).
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a force feedback input device according to the related art. The input device includes a boxlike housing 100 having a bearing cylinder 100a at its top wall, a motor 101 and a print board 102 housed in the housing 100, and an operating member 103 provided above the housing 100. The motor 101 has a main body portion 101a and a rotary shaft 101b protruding from the main body portion 101a. The main body portion 101a is fixed to the rear side of the top wall of the housing 100 by screwing. The rotary shaft 101b passes through the top wall of the hosing 100 and protrudes upward. A first gear 104 which is a spur gear is attached to the upper end of the rotary shaft 101b. 
The operating member 103 is a cylindrical body with an open bottom. A support shaft 105 which is fixed at a central portion of the inner surface is inserted and held into the bearing cylinder 100a, and the operating member 103 is rotatably supported on the housing 100. Further, in the lower end surface of the operating member 103, a geared portion 103a is provided along the inner circumferential surface. A first gear 104, a second gear 106, and a third gear (not shown) mesh with the geared portion 103a at regular intervals of 120 degrees. The three gears are spur gears having the same diameter or the same number of teeth. A rotary shaft 106a of the second gear 106 is supported by a bearing 100b in the housing 100. At the lower end of the rotary shaft 106a, a code plate 107 is fixed. A photointerrupter 108 which detects rotation information of the code plate 107 is mounted on the rear surface of the print board 102. Further, a push switch 109 is mounted on the surface of the print board 102 to face the lower end of the support shaft 105. Moreover, a spring 110 is interposed between the operating member 103 and the bearing cylinder 100a. The operating member 103 is biased upward by resilient force of the spring 110.
In the force feedback input device having such a schematic configuration, if a user presses the operating member 103 against the resilient force of the spring 110, the push switch 109 is turned on by the support shaft 105, and then a switch signal is output from the push switch 109 to a control unit (not shown). The control unit recognizes on the basis of the switch signal of the push switch 109 that a desired mode (for example, an air-conditioner temperature setting mode) is selected. In this state, if the user rotates the operating member 103, the function adjustment of the selected mode (for example, the up/down adjustment of the set temperature) is performed according to the rotation position of the operating member 103. At the time of the rotation operation of the operating member 103, the first to third gears meshing with the geared portion 103a synchronously rotate, and the code plate 107 rotates in connection with the second gear 106. Accordingly, positional information of the operating member 103 is detected from the photointerrupter 108. The control unit is configured to receive the signal output from the photointerrupter 108 and control driving of the motor 101.
For example, at the time of the adjustment of the set temperature of the air conditioner, whenever the set temperature is changed by one degree, if force opposite to the rotation direction of the operating member 103 is applied to the operating member 103 from the motor 101, the user can recognize the adjusted set temperature by a click feeling.
In the force feedback input device according to the related art, the motor 101 is provided in a longitudinal direction such that the rotary shaft 101b is parallel with the central axis of rotation of the operating member 103. Then, the first gear 104 attached to the rotary shaft 101b meshes with the geared portion 103a provided at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the operating member 103. Accordingly, rotation force of the motor 101 is transferred to the operating member 103 through the first gear 104 and the geared portion 103a. Therefore, a great portion of the motor 101 including the main body portion 101a protrudes outward from the lower end of the operating member 103. As a result, there is a problem in that the size of the entire input device is made large in a height direction (longitudinal direction)